Here’s an example of Ensoniq ESQ-1 sounds in an older song of mine, and it’s also being used as the sequencer driving the EMU-ESI 32 sampler.
The ESQ-1 is mainly responsible for the liquid / melodic sounds. All the rest are the EMU sampler-

(Recorded live onto single track DAT. Most of it was step edited by hand on the ESQ-1.)

The ESQ-1 (and SQ-80) are definitely under-rated synths. I’ve owned an ESQ for many years, and if you get deep into programming sounds it has wonderful liquid sounds, analog style saw, and square growls, good osc syncs, 8 bit video game style sounds, and lush beautifully emotional almost analog sounds that can have quite a bit of complex modulation for an 80’s synth.

It uses digital waveforms, but runs them through a smooth analog filter with nice character. It’s fairly warm / analog sounding for a mostly digital synth.

The stock sounds were kind of average as usual. It’s when you program it for a while that you can get amazing results.

If you can get SQ-80 waveforms where all 3 oscillators start at waveform 70 (highest wave), and then put that patch into the ESQ-1, the ESQ-1 will play the SQ-80 waves but they don’t behave normally which can be cool.

And it shouldn’t cause issues with the ESQ-1. Used this technique for many years with no problems.

The only thing is that if you change waves down from 70 (which can get interesting circuit bent style results on the ESQ) you can’t go back up on waveforms 36-70 on the ESQ. So you have to be strategic when designing sounds with the extra waves, and keep a master copy of the patch with the waves set to 70 for each of the 3 oscillators

They are the additional 35 extra waveforms intended for the SQ-80. The ESQ-1 garbles them in strange ways.

It’s an 8 voice synth, but if I remember right it can even be chained with another ESQ-1 slave synth, and if they both have the same patches loaded up, you could put the master (and servant!) in “overflow” mode that effectively makes it a 16 voice, 16 track synth instead of 8. Even with just 8 voices, it does pretty well at note allocation.

The ESQ-M (ESQ-1 rack version) was a different story- only 1 parameter on screen at a time where the ESQ-1 could have up to 10 with corresponding buttons. The ESQ-M sounds the same as the ESQ-1, but it’s not nearly as fun to work with.

You probably want to put these synths through an effect machine to get the most out of them. They have no internal effects.

They’re also very easy to sequence on (although editing options are somewhat limited), and it has a step editor that’s fun and easy to use.

Get the metal case ones if you can. The plastic one’s screen could die if you lean on it too hard which you often do when programming. (From what I understand, the plastic cover could flex too much and break the solder joints for the screen.)

The ESQ-1 had an expansion slot for larger sequencing memory- I think it goes up to 10,000 recordable notes and 30 sequences.

The sequences were parts of songs that could be chained together and automated in song mode, or just mixed on the fly- with 8 tracks that could be assigned to different internal sounds, as well as control multiple outboard midi instruments.

They were pretty intuitively designed compared to most other digital synths of that age. They have 10 selector buttons above and below the screen with most parameters easily accessible without much menu diving.

They hold 40 internal patches, and an additional 80 on the changeable sound cartridges for a total of 120 sounds.

They also have a data slider (and up/down buttons) for whatever parameter you choose so it’s quick to change.

How the SQ-80 was different from the ESQ-1-

They’re very similar, but the SQ-80 had twice the recordable notes (20,000 instead of 10,000) and sequence capacity (60 instead of 30 sequences), twice as many waveforms (70 vs 35), and had a floppy disc drive to save sounds and sequences. The ESQ-1 did not have a disc drive, so you’d have to save your sounds to an editor librarian, or an Alesis data disk, or an Ensoniq Mirage sampler which was compatible with the ESQ-1 and could save it’s sounds to disk. (..and there were other options like tape saving).

The SQ-80 uses the same 35 waveforms as the ESQ-1, and has an extra 35 waves for a total of 70.
They both sound pretty much the same when it comes down to it though.

The SQ-80 also had aftertouch (the ESQ-1 just had velocity)- the aftertouch sensors apparently make the SQ-80 keyboard “clack” a bit, unlike the ESQ-1 on which the keyboard has a pretty nice feeling with no clack. That alone has always made me favor the ESQ-1. That clacking sound isn’t really loud but can take away from the joy of making music.

They’re built like tanks, and are quite reliable, but they are aging, and repairs may be needed from time to time. The internal battery typically needs to be replaced every 5-7 years, and each end is soldered to the board. (A few have been modified to make battery replacement easier.)

They are great synths- 3 oscillators, with 35 or 70 waves each, 4 envelopes, and 3 LFO’s that can be assigned to modulate pitch, filter, panning etc. And they have Curtis chips, and analog filters which is where the liquidy pretty stuff comes from.

(I was contracted with Ensoniq to design sounds for the ESQ-1 shortly after it came out. I sold them over 100 patches, so you might even have some sounds I designed in your ESQ!)..

I selfishly kept all the really amazing patches to myself of course, and still have them. ( :

-Wizard

]]>By: Stuarthttp://www.wiretotheear.com/2011/08/17/ensoniq-esq-1/comment-page-1/#comment-86207
Wed, 07 Nov 2012 05:55:48 +0000http://www.wiretotheear.com/?p=7764#comment-86207Just in case anyone has an ESQ-1 and is into Python, I have written a Python module that can generate or edit ESQ-1 patches and load them from or save them to SYSEX files: https://github.com/stuartkeith/esq1
]]>By: jeremy truehttp://www.wiretotheear.com/2011/08/17/ensoniq-esq-1/comment-page-1/#comment-85928
Fri, 27 Jul 2012 09:41:14 +0000http://www.wiretotheear.com/?p=7764#comment-85928just looking at trying to get my ESQ-1 back into my music making, hook it up to my computer finally perhaps? :-) been using one since 86, got my own in 89 when i saved up enough money. the one thing that really makes this keyboard sound totally up to date is a little reverb and delay. i love the Kalimba sound, and a bunch of resonant filter string sounds i made myself. so rich… i was trying to find a link on our band site to songs that use the ESQ-1 but it wouldn’t let me just select those tracks. https://www.facebook.com/FadedSFmusic/app_2405167945. Check out the song Ignorance is Fatal. all keyboards are ESQ-1 run thru a Quadraverb, the drums are on a Mirage sampler and Alesis SR-16. the audio samples were all triggered on an Amiga computer live. haha now you know it’s OLD school! that was back in 1992 i think. the other songs that feature the same keyboard/drum machine setup (plus guitars and vocals) are West, Nothing to Feel, Ascend, Hours and Let it Go. a few years ago my ESQ sequencer stopped working very well and i switched to a 1999 version of Frooty Loops, but i still sample off my ESQ-1 when i can! :-) rock on!
]]>By: PTechhttp://www.wiretotheear.com/2011/08/17/ensoniq-esq-1/comment-page-1/#comment-85911
Sat, 21 Jul 2012 03:03:35 +0000http://www.wiretotheear.com/?p=7764#comment-85911Hi Oliver, thanks for the photo of that sweet looking ESQ. Now I need a cold shower. I’m already on the register, you should know better sending pictures like that to synthophiles…”AHEM”. Anyway, I’ve finally got my synth off the postman. Everything works OK but I was kidding myself if I thought I wouldn’t have at least one issue, coming as it did off ebay…There’s a fault with DCA’s 1-3. Briefly, they work only at near maximum gain(around ’53’ on the main DCA oscillator level setting), under ’53’ there’s no tone. Modulating the DCA at full amount with ENV or LFO with main level at zero, you only hear tone when the MOD gain is excess of ’53’. So, apply a long attack on ENV, and for the duration of the attack phase you hear only a bit of OSC bleed until suddenly sound! All DCA’s 1-3 share this fault respectively, ENV4-DCA4 hard wired is working as normal. OSC freq mod is not affected by any of this so I’m sure the fault lies with the DCA’s. Please, any help gratefully appreciated. Thanks, Pete.
]]>By: PTechhttp://www.wiretotheear.com/2011/08/17/ensoniq-esq-1/comment-page-1/#comment-85900
Wed, 18 Jul 2012 19:14:20 +0000http://www.wiretotheear.com/?p=7764#comment-85900Hi Greg, yeah I agree. I loved my TS12. The fault turned out to be a faulty disc drive. What I didn’t mention before was that I counted six ‘size 12′ boot prints on the flight case, face up. Months of fighting with British Airways followed until they backed down and paid for the repair. She came to a sticky end about 10 years ago when somebody spilt beer onto keys(not me)! Had the mother board cleaned but it had corrupted the sound engine. People would comment when they heard projects I’d be using her on,”who’s the brass section”?…Honestly. I’ve yet to hear any Roland or Korg that comes close, even now! Strings as well, killed on that thing! Ensoniq’s really are something special. Cheers, Pete.
]]>By: PTechhttp://www.wiretotheear.com/2011/08/17/ensoniq-esq-1/comment-page-1/#comment-85899
Wed, 18 Jul 2012 18:36:23 +0000http://www.wiretotheear.com/?p=7764#comment-85899Thanks Mate! Still waiting though:( British post, best in the world!:(
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